engine coolant AUDI A8 2017 Owners Manual

C) C0 ....
"' ,....
"' .... 0 0 :r Cockpit overview
Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster overview
The instrument cluster is the central information center for the driver.
Fig. 3 In strume nt cl us ter overview
CD Eng ine coolan t temperature gauge
@ Tachometer . .. .. . .... ... .. .. .
®
© Turn signals
D isp lay w ith
- Driver information system .... .
- In dicator lights ..... ... .. .. .
® Speedometer
@ Fuel level .. ... ... .... ..... .. .
0 Trip odometer reset b utton .... .
(D Tips
9
10
44
12
17
10
10
The instrument illumination for the need les
and dia ls t urns on when the ignition is turned
on and the lights are turned off. The illumina ­
tion for the ga uges reduces automat ica lly and
eventua lly turns off as brightness outside in­
creases. This function reminds the drive r to
t ur n t he low beams on at the appropriate
time.
Coolant temperature indicator
The coola nt tempe rature disp lay CD c> page 9,
fig. 3 only func tions when the ignit ion is switch­
ed o n. To preven t engine damage , please obse rve
t h e following notes abo ut the temperatu re rang­
es.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge t urn
o n, the eng ine has not reached operat ing tem­
perature yet . Avoid high eng ine speeds, f ull ac­
c e le ra ting and heavy e ng ine loads.
Normal range
The eng ine has reached its operating tempera­
ture o nce the LEDs up to the center of the gauge
tu rn o n. If the . indica to r li ght i n the display
tu rns on, the coolant temperat ure is too h igh
¢ page 20.
9

Cockpit overv iew
CD Note
-Auxiliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the cooling-a ir intake impair the
cooling effect of the coolant. This increases
the r isk of the engine overheat ing during
high outside temperatures and heavy en-
gine load.
- The front spoiler also he lps to distr ibute
cooling air correctly wh ile driving. If the
spoiler is damaged, the cooling effect will
be impaired and the risk of the engine over­
hea ting will inc re ase. See an a uthorized
A udi dealer or au thori zed A udi Service Fa­
cility for assistance .
Tachometer
The tachometer display s the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute
(RPM).
You shou ld shift to the nex t lowest gea r whe n
the speed is below 1,500 R PM. The beginn ing of
the red zone in the t achometer indic ates the
maxim um permissible eng ine speed fo r all gears
once the engine has been broken in an d when it is
warmed up to operating temperature . Before
reaching this zone, you should shift into the next
h ighest gear, select the D selector lever pos ition,
or remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
CD Note
The needle in the tachometer @ <=:> page 9,
fig. 3 may only be in the red area of the gauge
for a short t ime or the re is a risk of engine
damage. The locat ion where the red zone be­
gi ns varies depending on the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early helps you to save fuel a nd re­
duce operating noise.
Fuel level
The display ® only works when the ignition is
sw itched on. If the fuel level d rops below 4 gal
(15
L), a red L ED will light up and the ll) ind ica­
tor light will tur n on
<=:> page 24 . The red LED
will blink when the fuel level is very low.
10
The fuel tank capacity of your ve hicl e is listed in
the
Techn ical Data section <=:> page 334 .
CD Note
Never dr ive until t he ta nk is comp letely emp­
ty. The irreg ular su pp ly of fuel t hat res ults
from that can cause engine m isfires . Uncom­
b uste d fue l w ill then enter the exhaust sys ­
tem. This ca n cause overheating and damage
to the catalyt ic converter.
Odometer
Fi g. 4 Instru ment cluster: odometer a nd reset button
Upper odomet er
The trip odometer shows the distance driven
since it was last reset. It can be used to measure
short distances.
The trip odometer can be reset to zero by press ­
ing the ~ reset button.
Lower odometer
The lower odomete r shows the tota l distance
that the vehicle has d riven.
Malfunction indicator
If there is a malfunction in the instr ument clus­
te r,
DEF will appear in the trip odometer display.
Have the malfu nction corrected as soon as possi­
ble.

Cockpit over view
- If the brake system indicator light does not
turn off or it t urns on while driv ing, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an acc ident .
Stop the vehicle a nd do not continue dr iv­
ing . See an author ized Audi dealer or au­
t h o rized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r ass istance.
- If the brake system indicator light turns on
togethe r with the ABS and ESC ind icator
l igh ts, the ABS/ ESC regula ting func tion may
be malfunctioning. Fu nctions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer ava ilable . This
could cause the vehicle to swerve, whic h in­
creases the risk that the ve hicle wi ll slide.
Do not continue driving. See an author ized
Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Facili­
ty for assistance.
PARK/( ®) Electromechanical parking brake
If the -(USA models) /. (Canada models)
i n dicator light t urns on, the park ing brake was
set .
- (USA models) /. (Canada models) Cau·
tion : Vehicle parked too st eep
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pears, the re is not enough brak ing power to se­
cure the vehicle . The b rakes have overhea ted. The
ve hicle could roll away eve n on a small incline.
- (USA models) /. (Canada models) P ress
brake pedal to release parking b rake
To re lease the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the~ button at the same time
or start driv ing with hill start ass ist
¢ page 82 .
Ill Parking brake!
There is a malfunction in the park ing brake . Dr ive
t o a n author ized Audi dealer or au thor ized Audi
Serv ice Facil ity immediately to have t he mal func ­
tion correc ted.
(j) Tips
For add it io na l information on the park ing
brake, see
c::> page 81.
20
_ L Cooling system
• Swit ch off engine and check coolant level!
T he coolant level is too low .
Do not continue dr iv ing and switch the eng ine
off. Check the coolant level
c::> page 2 77 .
- If the coo lant level is too low , add coolant
c::> page 2 78 . Only continue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off.
• Coolant temperature too high! Please let en­
gine run with vehicle stationary
Let the engine ru n at idle fo r a few min utes to
cool off, until t he ind icator lig ht t urns off .
- If the ind icator light does not turn off , do not
cont inue driving the veh icle. See an authorized
Aud i dea le r or aut horized Audi Serv ice Facility
for assistance.
.&_ WARNING
- Never ope n the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coo lant escaping from the engine
compa rtment. This increases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see o r hear
steam or coolant escaping.
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dange rous a rea. Stop the engine and
allow it to cool before working in the engine
compa rtment . Always follow the informa­
tion fo und in
c::> page 2 71.
(I) Note
Do not continue driv ing if the . indicator
li ght turns on -this increases the risk of en­
gine damage .
~ Safety belt
The. indicator lig ht stays on unti l the dr iver 's
and front passenge r's safety belts are faste ned .
Above a certa in speed, the re will a lso be a warn­
i ng tone.
@ Tips
Fo r addi tional info rmat ion on saf ety belts,
see
c::> page 218 .

Adjusting the temperature
Temperatures between 60 °F ( +16 °C) and 84 °F
(+28 °C) can be set . Outside of this range,
LO or
HI will appear in the climate control system dis­
p lay . At both of these settings, the climate con ­
trol system runs continuously at maximum cool­
ing or heating power. There is no temperature
regulation.
~ Adjusting the amount of air
You can adjust the airf low manually to su it your
needs. The blower should always run at a low set ­
ting to prevent the windows from fogging and to
ensure a continuous exchange of air inside the
vehicle. To have the airflow regulated automat i­
cally, press the
IAUTO I button.
~ Adjusting the air distribution
You can manually select the vents where the air
will flow. To have the a ir distribution regu lated
automatically, press the
IAUTO ! button.
[il /~*Adjusting seat heating/ventilation*
Pressing the button switches the seat heating/
venti lation on at the highest setting (level 3). The
LEDs indicate the temperature level. To reduce
the temperature, press the button aga in. To
sw itch the seat heating/venti lation off, press the
button repeatedly until the LED turns off.
After 10 minutes, the seat heating/ventilation
automatically switches from level 3 to level 2.
l The windshield and side windows are defrosted
or cleared of condensation as quickly as possible.
The maximum amount of air flows mainly from
the vents below the windshield. Recirculation
mode switches off. The temperature should be
set to approximately 72 °F (22 °().
The
IAUTO I button switches the defroster off .
IQiil R EARI Switching the rear window defogger
on and off
The rear window defogger only operates when
~ the engine is running. It switches off automati-....
~ cally after 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the N
8 outside temperature. 0 :c ' Warm and cold
To prevent the rear window defogger from
switching off automatica lly, press and hold the
llliil REAR ! button for more than three seconds .
This is stored until the ignition is switched off.
I SYNC! Synchronization*
When synchron ization is switched on, the set­
tings for the driver's side are applied to the front
passenger's side (except for seat heating/ventila­
t ion*). The rear is also synchronized in vehicles
with the 4- zone deluxe automatic climate control
system*. Synchronization switches off if the set­
t in gs are adjusted on the front passenger's side
or in the rear*.
You can synchronize the sett ings in a row by
pressing and holding a knob. For example, to ap­
ply the sett ings for the front passenger's side to
the driver's side, press and hold the knob on the
front passenger 's side .
Vents
You can open or close the center and rear vents in
the cockpit and the vents in the rear center con­
sole and door pillars using the ridged thumb­
wheels. The levers adjust the direction of the air­
flow from the vents.
Residual heat
You can act ivate the residual heat function when
the ignition is switched off by pressing and hold­
i ng the ~ button. The residual heat from the
coolant is used to heat the vehicle interior . T he
residual heat function switches off automatically
after about 30 minutes.
_&. WARNING
- You should not use the recirculation mode
for an extended period of time since no
fresh air is drawn in. With the air-condition ­
ing switched off, the windows can fog up,
which increases the risk of an acc ident.
- Individuals with reduced sensit ivity to pain
or temperature could develop burns when
using the seat heating function. To reduce
the risk of injury, these individua ls should
not use seat heating .
71

0 co .... N ,..._
N .... 0 0 :c ' @ Tips
-Some noise after starting the engine is nor­
mal and is no cause for concern.
- If you leave the vehicle with the ignition
switched on, the ignition will switch off af­
ter a certain amount of time. Make sure that
electrical equipment such as the exterior
lights are switched off.
Stopping the engine
"'Bring the vehicle to a full stop.
"'Select the P or N selector lever position.
"'Press the
I START ENGINE STOPI button
r::?v page 76, fig. 90.
Steering lock
The steering locks when you turn the engine off
using the
I START ENGINE STOPI button and
open the driver's door. The locked steering helps
prevent vehicle theft.
Emergency off function
If it is absolutely necessary, the engine can also
be turned off while driving in the R, Dor S selec­
tor lever position at speeds below 6 mph (10 km/
h). To stop the engine, press and hold the
I START ENGINE STOPI button and also press the
brake pedal.
& WARNING
-Never turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop. The full func­
tion of the brake booster and the power
steering is not guaranteed. You must use
more force to turn or brake. Because you
cannot steer and brake as you usually
would, this could lead to accidents and seri­
ous injuries .
- Always take the key with you whenever you
leave your vehicle. Otherwise, the engine
could be started or electrical equipment
such as the power windows could be operat­
ed. This can lead to serious injury.
- For safety reasons, always park the vehicle
with the selector lever in the P position.
Driving
Otherwise, there is the risk that the vehicle
could roll unintentionally.
@ Note
If the engine has been under heavy load for
an extended period of time, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the engine is
switched off and there is a risk of damaging
the engine. For this reason, let the engine run
at idle for approximately two minutes before
shutting it off.
(D Tips
After the engine has been switched off, the
radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10
minutes -even with the ignition switched off .
It can also switch on again after some time if
the coolant temperature rises as the result of
heat buildup or if the engine is already warm
and the engine compartment is also heated
by the sun's rays.
Messages in the instrument cluster display
Turn off ignition before leaving car
This message appears and a warning tone sounds
if you open the driver's door when the ignition is
switched on.
Press brake pedal to start engine
This message appears when you press the
I START ENGIN E STOP ! button to start the engine
and do not press the brake pedal while doing so .
The engine can only be started when the brake
pedal is pressed.
= Key not in vehicle?
This indicator light turns on and this message ap­
pears if the ignition key was removed from the
vehicle when the engine was running. If the igni ­
tion key is no longer in the vehicle, you cannot switch on the ignition or start the engine once
you stop it. You also cannot lock the vehicle from
the outside.
Shift to P, otherwise vehicle can roll away.
Doors do not lock if lever is not in P.
77

0 co .... N ,..._
N .... 0 0 :c ' Air suspension*
When driv ing with a trailer, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension. Switch the air sus ­
pension trailer mode on when you are towing a
trailer. This will limit the regulation by the air
suspension while driving. Select in the MMI:
ICARI function button > (Ca r)* systems control
button
> Vehicle settings > Air susp.: towing >
On.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 9 must
be observed carefully . The coolant temperature
can increase if you drive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds. Reduce your speed
i mmed iately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
p lay turn on.
For more information about indicator lights, re­
fer to. ¢
page 20.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
de nt. Never let anyone ride in you r car who is
not properly wearing the restraints p rovided
by Audi.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know -
Your veh
icle handles differently when tow ing a
tra iler because of the additional weight and d if ­
ferent weight distr ibut ion. Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful­
ly yo u load you r trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and back ing up in a n area away
from traffic. Keep practicing until you have be­
come completely fami liar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer comb inat io n behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires pract ice.
Backing up with a trailer gene rally requires steer­
ing action opposite to tha t when backing up your
ve hicl e without a trailer .
Maintain a greater d istance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you . You w ill need more
Trailer mode
room to stop . To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you normally wo uld because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow p lenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again .
Avo id jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your veh icle.
-If you tow a trailer, your Audi may requ ire
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load ¢
page 336.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
" Apply the foot brake .
" Have someone place chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels.
"W ith chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
" Tur n the whee ls towards the curb.
" App ly the parking brake.
" Select the P selector lever position.
When restarting after parking:
"App ly the foot brake.
" Start the engine .
"S elect the D selector lever position .
" Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
" Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks.
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
i c transmission to P before applying the park­
in g brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
lever out of the P posit ion.
91

Checking and Filling
-Set the parking brake.
- Select the P selector lever position.
- Let the engine cool down.
- Never open the hood when there is steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned. Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the anti-freezing agent con­
tained in the coolant) can ignite.
- Avoid short circuits in the electrical system.
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which
increases the risk of personal injury.
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm. The
cooling system is under pressure.
- To protect your face, hands, and arms from
hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening.
- Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances. This increases the risk of
burns.
- If tests need to be performed with the en­
gine running, there is additional danger due
to moving components (such as the ribbed
belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the high-voltage ignition system .
- Do not under any circumstances activate the
throttle inadvertently (for example, by hand
from the engine compartment) if the vehi­
cle is stationary but the engine is running
and a gear is engaged. Otherwise, the vehi­
cle will start to move immediately and this
could result in an accident.
- Pay attention to the following warnings list­
ed when work on the fuel system or on the
electrical equipment is required.
- Do not smoke .
- Never work near open flames.
- Always have a working fire extinguisher
nearby
- All work on the battery or electrical system
in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi-
272
cal burns, accidents or burns. Because of
this, all work must be performed
only by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility .
- To reduce the risk of electric shock and in­
jury, never touch the following components when the engine is running or is being start­
ed:
- Ignition cable
- Other components in the electronic high-
voltage ignition system
- If you must check or perform work on the
engine while it is running:
- Set the parking brake and place the selec­ tor lever in the P (park) position first.
- Always proceed with extreme caution so
that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not
become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do
not come into contact with hot compo­
nents . Tie back long hair before beginning
work and do not wear clothing that can
hang down into the engine .
- Limit your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as possible
c:> ,&. .
.&_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm. In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm .
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms .
Wash hands after handling.

C) C0 ....
"' ,....
"' .... 0 0 :r (D Note
When filling fl uids, be sure not to mix the flu­
ids up. Otherwise severe ma lf u nctions and en ­
gine damage w ill occur.
@) For the sake of the environment
You sho uld regular ly check the ground u nder
your veh icle in o rder to detect leaks qu ickly. If
there are visible spots from oil or other f luids,
bring your vehicle to an authorized Aud i dea l­
er or author ized Audi Service Facility to be
checked.
Opening/closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fi g. 257 Driver footwell: re lease lever
F ig. 258 Roc ke r switch under t he hood
,-.. ~ co 0 :± ... IX)
Checking and Filling
Make s ure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshie ld . Otherwise the paint could be
damaged.
Opening the hood
.,. With the d river 's doo r open, pull the lever be­
low the instrument pane l in the d irection of the
arrow
q fig. 257 .
.,. Raise the hood slightly¢_& .
.,. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
q fig. 258 . This releases the catch.
.,. Open the hood .
Closing the hood
.,. Push the hood down until you override the
force of the strut.
.,. Let the hood fall lightly into the latch .
Do not
press it in.
q _& .
A WARNING
--Never open the hood when there is steam or
coo lant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could be burned. Wait unt il no steam or coolant is
escapi ng.
- For safety reasons, the hood m ust always be
closed securely while driv ing. Because of
this, always che ck t he hood afte r closing i t
to make sure it is latched correct ly. The
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
- If you notice that the hood is not latched
while you are driving, stop immediately and
close it, because driving when the hood is not latched increases the risk of an accident.
273

Checking and Filling
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points.
Fig. 259 Typical location of the rese rvoir and the engine o il fil le r open ing
(D Washer fluid reservoir (Q) c::> page 281
@ Jump start point(-) with hex head screw
c::> page 280, c::> page 32 7
@ Jump start point( +) under a cover
c> page 280, c::> page 32 7
@ Engine oil label* with VW standard
c> page 274
® Eng ine oil filler opening(~) c> page 276
@ Brake fluid reservoir((()}) c::> page 2 79
(j) Coolant reservoir (-L) c::> page 2 78
The engine oil fill ing opening (item@) may be
located in a different area depending on the en­
gine version.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS before check­
ing anything in the engine compartment
c::> &.
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 271.
274
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications.
The service interval display in the instrumen t
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an o il change. We recommend that you
have your oi l changed by an authorized Audi Se rv­
ice Advisor.
If you must add oil between oil changes, use an
oi l that matches the Audi oil quality standard
listed on the sticker. The sticker is located at the
front of the eng ine compartment
c::> page 274,
fig. 259
Audi recommends
~ Castrol /fg/j;Sf.g;fg f'r Audi recommends Longlife high performance
engine oil from Aud i Genuine Parts
liJI,

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' - Pay attention to legal requirements when disposing of empty oil containers .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta­
tion .
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine compart­
ment,
a lways rea d and heed all WARNINGS¢ &
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 271.
The engine oil must be changed according to the intervals specified in your Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet . This is very important because the
lubricat ing propert ies of oil diminish gradually
during normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oi l should
be changed more frequently. Change oil more of­
ten if you drive mostly short distances, operate
the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly
stop-and-go traffic condit ions, or have your vehi­
cle where temperatures remain below freezing
for extended periods .
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil
look dark after the engine has been running for a
short time . This is normal and is not a reason to
change the oil more often than recommended .
Because of the problem of proper disposal, along
with the special tools and necessary expertise re­
qu ired, we strongly recommend that you have
your oil changed by an authorized
A ud i d ea ler or
a qualified service station .
If y ou choo se to change yo ur o il y o urse lf, please
note the following important information:
A WARNING
To red uce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the engine oil in your veh icle
yourself:
- Wear eye protection .
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot engine
o il, let the eng ine cool down to the touch.
-
- When removing the o il drain plug with your
fingers, stay as far away as poss ible. Always
Ch eck ing and Filling
keep your forearm parallel to the ground to
help prevent hot oil from running down your
arm.
- Drain the oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one large enough to hold at
least the total amount of oil in your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of the reach of children.
- Continuous contact with used engine oil is
harmful to your skin. Always protect your
skin by washing oil off thoroughly with soap
and water .
CI) Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine oil.
These additives can damage your engine and
adversely affect your Audi limited New Vehi­
cle Warranty.
® For the sake of the environment
- Before chang ing your oi l, first make sure
you know where you can properly d ispose of
the used oil.
- Always dispose of used engine o il properly.
Do not dump it on garden soil, wooded
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine o il by tak ing it to a used
eng ine oil collection fac ility in your area, or
contact a service station .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine cooling system is filled with a mixture
of purified water and coolant additive at the fac­
tory. This coolant must not be not changed .
T he coo lant level is monitored through the. in­
dicator light¢
page 20. However, we do recom­
mend occasionally checking the coolant leve l
manually.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of wate r
and coolant additive . Mixing the coolant additive
with dist illed water is recommended.
ll>
277